Modular louver structure



Dec. 13, 1966 GREENBERG ET AL 3,291,978

MODULAR LOUVER STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 14, 1964 INVEA/ 70kg IRVING GREENBERG BYFRANK MARCHHART' United States Patent 3,291,978 MODULAR LOUVER STRUCTURE Irving Greenberg, Flushing, and Frank J. Marchhart, New

Hyde Park, N.Y., assignors to Aluminum Louvre Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 396,298 Claims. (Cl. 240-78) The present invention relates generally to improvements in grill structures and it relates particularly to an improved louver structure of the egg-crate type for use in light fixtures, luminous ceilings, and the like.

The use of light diffusing louvers in ceiling mounted light fixtures is a common practice for effecting a desirable light distribution and illumination pattern. These light diffusion louvers are generally of an egg-crate construction and are frequently substantially coextensive with the ceiling. As a consequence the louvers should be of strong and rigid construction and of very low weight whereby to minimize the load and stresses on the ceiling and louver support structure and to facilitate the handling of the louvers. The light diffusing louver structures heretofore available possess many drawbacks and disadvantages and generally represent a compromise. They are either heavy or of weak and flimsy construction, are usually expensive, and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved louver structure, particularly useful as a light diffuser in ceiling mounted lighting fixtures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a louver structure of the eg -crate type which is easily and readily assembled from the individual linear elements thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved louver structure, the assembly of which requires no separate fasteners, joining procedures such as welding, soldering or the like, or separate clinching operations at each intersection.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved egg-crate type louver structure which comprises similar longitudinal and and similar transverse louver members which are assembled into the final structure by mutual snap interlocking and clinching. The louver members are formed from elongated stock members which are of V-sha-ped cross section including diverging resilient arms and having appropriately shaped grooves formed therein to effect snap interlocking and clinching of the louver members. The louver members may thus be cut from stock to the desired sizes, whereby to permit the convenient and rapid assembly of snap interlocking and clinching assembly of louver structure of any size and configuration.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a louver structure of the above nature characterized by its high strength and rigidity, lightness, low cost, adaptability, versatility and attractive appearance.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a light diffusing louver structure embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of one of the bar members forming the louver structure;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of another of the bar members forming the louver structure;

3,291,973 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating the joint section of a pair of louver bars; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan fragmentary view of the assembled louver structure.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a louver structure comprising a plurality of transversely spaced longitudinally extending first bars having longitudinally spaced sets of transversely aligned first slots formed therein, and a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending second bars registering with corresponding of said first slots, each of said second bars including diverging resilient longitudinal arms engaging the opposite edges of respective of said first slots.

According to a preferred form of the present louver structure, the louver bars are horizontal, the bars of each set being parallel and the sets being arranged in quadrature to each other. The first longitudinal bars are of substantially V-shaped, transverse cross section including upwardly-diverging, outwardly-concave arms. Longitudinally-spaced, transversely aligned, substantially V- shaped slots having convex edges are formed in the first bar arms, the bottom sections of the slots being relatively narrow and terminating above the bottom edges of the bars. Outwardly directed bonding detents are formed by clinching after assembly adjacent the apex of each of the slots. The second transversely-extending louver bars are likewise of substantially V-shaped transverse cross section including diverging, outwardly-concave resilient arms and having transversely spaced vertical slots formed in their lower borders. The slots are of a width about the thickness of that of the combined arms of each of the first louver bars and embrace the lower borders of the first bars, firmly engaging the bonding detents thereof to effect substantially rigid joints at the louver bar intersections.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a section of the improved louver construction which is shown by way of example of square cellular configuration and of a size of four cells wide and four cells long. It is to be understood that the louver section may be of any desirable size and the individual cells of different configuration. The louver section 10 is formed of a plurality of transverselyspaced, horizontal, longitudinal first louver bars 12 and an interfitting plurality of longitudinally-spaced, parallel, horizontal, transverse second louver bars 14 substantially perpendicular to the first louver bars 12. The louver bars 12 and 14 are formed of any suitable material, advantageously of thin aluminum sheet or thin steel sheet cut and formed in any conventional manner and having its outer faces anodized or otherwise treated or decorated.

The longitudinal louver bars 12 are of substantially V-shaped transverse cross section and each includes a pair of similar slightly outwardly concave resilient arms 16 and 18 diverging upwardly from a bottom rounded apex 20. The lower section of the arms 16 and 18 are substantially parallel and vertical, and closely spaced. Formed in the arms 16 and 18 are a plurality of V-shaped slots 22 which are uniformly spaced longitudinally of the arms 16 and 18 and which extend from the upper edges of the arms 16 and 18 to squared bottom apices 24 located between the bottom of the bar 12 and the medial longitudinal axis thereof. The side edges 26 of the slots 22 are convex.

An important feature of the present louver structure is the provision of the bonding detents or protuberances 28 which are formed in the outer faces of the bar arms 16 and 18. The bonding detents 28 are disposed in alignment with the medial axes of the respective slots 22, ad-

vantageously at or directly below the slot apices 24. The bonding detents are integrally formed in the arms 16 and 18 attendant to the assembly of the louver members, be ing formed under pressure of the louver member 14 as it is pressed into mating registry with the louver member 12.

The transverse louver bars 14 are likewise of substantially V-sha-ped cross section substantially similar to the longitudinal louver bars 12 and each includes a pair of similar slightly outwardly-concave resilient arms 30 and 32 diverging upwardly from a bottom rounded apex 34 and being substantially parallel and closely spaced at their lower sections. A plurality of vertical slots 36 are formed in and regularly spaced along the length of each of the transverse bars 14 and extend from the bottom apex 34 upwardly along the respective arms 3!) and 32 for a distance somewhat greater than the distance between the slot apices 24 and the longitudinal bar apex 20. The width of each slot 36 is approximately equal to the combined thicknesses of a pair of louver bar arms 16 and 18 and the slots 36 terminate in squared tops.

In the assembled condition of the louver section 10, the longitudinal louver bars 12 are arranged in parallel relationship with a center to center spacing equal to the spacing between successive slots 36 and with the slots 22 in transverse alignment. The transverse louver bars 14 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to and interengage the longitudinal louvers 12, registering with the slots 22 therein. The transverse louver slots 36 register with and embrace the lower borders of the longitudinal louver bars 12 in vertical alignment with the medial axes of the slots 22, and the outer faces of the transverse bar arms 30 and 32 engage the edges 26 of the longitudinal bar slots 22. The upper edges of the slots 36 pressure from the detents 28, as aforesaid, and are firmly engaged by and bite into the bonding detents 28 to effect a tight and rigid interlocking and clinching engagement between the longitudinal and transverse louver bars 12 and 14. In the assembled interlocked condition, the lower edges on apices 20 and 34 of the longitudinal and transverse louvers lie substantially in a common horizontal plane and the upper edges of these louver bars 12 and 14 likewise lie in a common horizontal plane. The louver assembly is strong, rigid and of light weight. Separate fasteners or securing procedures such as soldering or welding are obviated by reason of the bonding detents 28 and the registering slots 34. Twisting, warping and distortion are prevented by the configuration of the louver bars 12 and 14 and the slots 22 and 36, and the interfitting thereof whereby inter-engagement is effected between the louver bars at each intersection or joint along lines transversely and longitudinally offset from the respective medial axis of intersection.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What we claim is:

1. A louver structure comprising a plurality of transversely-spaced, longitudinally-extending horizontal first bars of substantially V-sha-ped transverse cross-section and including upwardly diverging first arms having transversely-aligned vertical slots formed in the upper sections thereof and extending to points above the lower edges thereof, a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, transverselyextending horizontal second bars of substantially V-shaped transverse cross-section registering with corresponding of said first slots and including upwardly diverging resilient second arms and having transversely-spaced, vertical slots formed in their lower borders embracing the lower borders of said first bars below the apices of said first slots and protuberances formed in said first arms adjacent the apices of said first slots under the pressure of the assembly of said first and second bars as they are pressed into mating registry, said protuberances projecting outwardly from the outer faces of said first arms into firm engagement with the edges of said second slots.

2. The louver structure of claim 1 wherein the edges of said first slots are convex, said first slots being relatively narrow along their lower sections and of a width approximately equal to the combined thicknesses of the arms of corresponding of said second bars.

3. The louver structure of claim 1 wherein said second slots have substantially parallel side edges and are of a depth slightly greater than the distance between the apices of said first slots and the bottom edges of said first bars.

4. The louver structure of claim 1 wherein the lower edges of said first and second bars are substantially coplanar,

5. The louver structure of claim 1 wherein said bar arms are outwardly concave.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,337,437 12/1943 Allen 240-78 2,420,112 5/1947 Utzler 52664 X 2,437,186 3/ 1948 Collins 52667 3,016,997 l/1962 Price 240-78 FOREIGN PATENTS 234,148 5/ 1911 Germany.

JOHN M. HORAN, Primary Examiner.

NORTON ANSHER, Examiner. C. C. LOGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LOUVER STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSELY-SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING HORIZONTAL FIRST BARS OF SUBTANTIALLY V-SHAPED TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION AND INCLUDING UPWARDLY DIVERGING FIRST ARMS HAVING TRANSVERSELY-ALIGNED VERTICAL SLOTS FORMED IN THE UPPER SECTIONS THEREOF AND EXTENDING TO POINTS ABOVE THE LOWER EDGES THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED, TRANSVERSELYEXTENDING HORIZONTAL SECOND BARS OF SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION REGISTERING WITH CORRESPONDING OF SAID FIRST SLOTS AND INCLUDING UPWARLDY DIVERGING RESILIENT SECOND ARMS AND HAVING TRANSVERSELY-SPACED, VERTICAL SLOTS FORMED IN THEIR LOWER BORDERS EMBRACING THE LOWER BORDERS OF SAID FIRST BARS BELOW THE APICES OF SAID FIRST SLOTS AND PROTUBERANCES FORMED IN SAID FIRST ARMS ADJACENT THE APICES OF SAID FIRST SLOTS UNDER PRESSURE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND BARS AS THEY ARE PRESSED INTO MATING REGISTRY, AND PROTUBERANCES PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER FACES OF SAID FIRST ARMS INTO FIRM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EDGES OF SAID SECOND SLOTS. 